following the Father's heart in Brazil

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Not a political statement, just an eye opener

Last week my little boy got very sick with a stomach virus. It passed around to many other members of our team, including Ada, but for some reason his stuck around.

After the third day of him not being able to keep anything down I knew he needed medical care. And I’m not going to pretend like it didn’t scare me.

Brazil has both public and private health care. At this time we use the public health care that is available here. This is the second time we have had to visit a hospital in Brazil. The first time I was in such shock, but luckily he just had a bad cough and we could go. I kind of wish we had taken pictures in this hospital. You are allowed to smoke in the hospital. It feels like you are stepping back in time to the 60’s. I saw no computers or electric equipment. I also saw now bio-hazard bags. And we experienced the COMPLETE opposite of the HIPPAA laws when we were told that a patient had been diagnosed with cancer before SHE was told.

So when Leyton got sick I was kind of worried about the care he might receive. We went to a very small and simple hospital here in Trindade. I knew basically what he needed because he was dehydrated and I knew going in that if he did not receive that care I would find somewhere else to take him.

I am very happy to say that he received very good medical care, although very basic. He was seen almost immediately and within a few minutes of getting an IV he began to feel better. The doctors and nurses were very hard working and knowledgeable. And I felt humbled for thinking otherwise. I felt very……American.

After I knew he was feeling better I thought about what I had seen. Again, no computers. No electronic IV machines that beep all the time….even the thermometer was old school.

A few days later another member of our team had to go to the same hospital for a similar illness. He found out while he was there that the hospital had not had water for four days prior. FOUR DAYS in a hospital. It makes me very angry at those in charge of the city to allow something like that to happen. However, instead of brewing in that anger I prayed for the patients and staff there who had to suffer through that. I complain when we don’t have water for a day in a house full of healthy people. I can’t even imagine what they have to go through.

Keep Brazil and Trindade in your prayers. Pray for justice, for the forgotten.